A magnetic sensor is a device that measures the strength of an external magnetic field. There are a number of different approaches for sensing magnetic fields, and various different types of known magnet sensors which are based on these different approaches. One type of magnetic sensor that is based on flux variations in a magnetic core is a fluxgate sensor.
A conventional fluxgate sensor includes a separate drive coil, a sense coil, and a magnetic core structure that lies within the drive coil and sense coil. Another fluxgate sensor is an integrated fluxgate sensor that is formed as a multi-layer structure including a magnetic core having assonated via-based drive and sense coil structures formed on a semiconductor substrate. Typical applications for fluxgate sensors include magnetic closed-loop current sensing in motor controls, renewable energy, battery chargers and power monitoring.